Hourglass
by MCCorrea
Summary: "The End Marks the Beginning" is what her grandfather's hourglass said. Marina McKinley never thought much of this, merely letting it off as one of the many phrases that revolved around life - a "Y.O.L.O" of sorts. Things, however, are about to drastically change now that her best friend is a werewolf and Marina begins to uncover secrets that were meant to stay hidden. Stiles/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

The last place Marina McKinley thought she'd be so late at night was in the woods. She couldn't possibly blame her best friends for bringing her there, they hadn't obligated her to, but Marina found it difficult to even begin to comprehend their fascination, especially Stiles Stilinski's, with the possibility of finding a dead body – half of one at that. The mere thought was one she deemed as gruesome, but Marina knew she wouldn't have been able to sleep well knowing her best friends were out and about with a murderer on the loose.

"Just out of curiosity," she heard Scott McCall say to Stiles, moving a few strands of his shaggy brown hair from his vision. "Which half of the body are we looking for?"

There were a few seconds of silence before Stiles shrugged lightly in response, "Huh, I didn't even think about that."

Marina was focusing very little on the conversation the two guys were having as she trailed a few steps behind them, hugging her jacket close to her slender body. Goosebumps rose throughout her skin as she moved her gaze around the dark areas surrounding them, the feeling that someone or something was watching creeping onto her. She tucked some of her long dark brown hair behind one ear, trying but failing to keep up that façade of bravery she had sworn the boys she had.

"Mar." The girl quickly looked at Scott, who had halted, a bit shorten of air, with one arm extended towards her while the other rested on his heaving chest. "Don't stray behind."

Marina nodded her head and quickly joined him, placing one hand on his back comfortingly while he used his inhaler. Stiles slowed down a couple of feet in front of them and Marina focused on the clearing ahead, marked off by yellow police tape. The giddiness in Stile's bounce, although rather odd, was quite contagious and the other two couldn't help but to smile – it felt like they were solving a mystery.

The trio crouched down, watching as the officers moved about the crime scene, inspecting the area while they spoke in hushed voices about what happened. Marina's dark green eyes went wide at the sight of a body bag and the two bare feet that were momentarily visible as it was zipped to a close.

"Is-Is that the second half of the body?" she whispered; it was her first time seeing something of the sort. The sudden but quick vibration of her phone inside the jean's pocket made Marina flinch a little, though thankfully it wasn't enough to attract any attention – that was surely her dad saying that it was late and she had school tomorrow, not that she didn't know already. Marina saw Stiles shake his head through the corner of her eyes.

"No, they would have called off the search. Come on."

The three carefully retreated from the perimeter, not wanting to be seen or heard. Marina remained close to the guys, with Stiles walking ahead while Scott stayed behind, trying his best to maintain a steady breathing. An awfully eerie sensation began to crawl onto her body once more, one that Marina found difficult to explain. It made the pit of her stomach queasy and her heart race a hundred miles per second, making it seem as though it was about to pop out.

Flashlight beams suddenly scour around them, for a moment making the three teenagers freeze on the spot. There were voices ahead, indicating that the search group was there, as well as a few dogs barking. Stiles, unable to stand still, suddenly took a hold of Marina's wrist and ran off, dragging the girl without giving it a second thought.

"Scott," Marina called back in a harsh whisper, looking over her shoulder. Stiles simultaneously slowed down to see if he was there, thinking that the guy had followed, too, but ferocious barking made him spin back around. Marina let out a startled scream, clutching onto Stile's jacket as she proceeded to drag him back while he remained in front of her shocked.

"Stay right there!" one of the state troopers yelled, his search dog yanked back against his leash.

The numerous flashlights blinded Marina and she squeezed her eyes shot, the dreadful word _busted_ running through her mind. How was she going to explain this to her parents? As far as they knew, she was at Scott's house with Stiles, helping him get ready for tomorrow – it had been a silly excuse, really, but her parents deemed it to be a believable scenario with those two boys.

"Hold on, hold on," the sound of Mr. Stilinski's voice made Marina's breathe hitch, already envisioning her parents opening the door and being greeted by the town's sheriff next to their daughter.

Mr. Stilinski appeared before them, glaring but not at all surprised to see his son there. His eyebrows slightly rose, however, at the sight of Marina near Stiles. The older man let out a small sigh, resting both hands on his hips.

"Stand back," he ordered the others. "These two are with me. Do you listen in on all my phone calls?" he asked Stiles, just as the other officers began moving elsewhere. Marina let go the tight grip on the boy's jacket and stood by his side, looking at Mr. Stilinski with a grim face.

"No…" Stiles slowly answered. "Not the boring ones." Marina nudged her friend with her elbow, giving him a pointed look.

"And where's Thing number three?" Mr. Stilinski asked.

"Who? Scott? He's home," Stiles went on, scoffing a little while his father raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. "He-He said he wanted to get a good night's sleep for the first day back at school."

Marina lightly nodded her head, frowning. "Yeah, Mr. Stilinski," she added. "Scott wanted to have some energy for the Lacrosse practice."

The older man averted his gaze to the trees behind the two teenagers, creasing his eyebrows.

"Scott?" he called. "You out there?"

Marina bit her inner cheek when no response came, aware that Scott was hiding somewhere around the area. After a few seconds went by, Mr. Stilinski looked back at her and Stiles, letting out another small sigh and almost rolling his eyes when the latter grinned innocently.

"Alright, you two," he moved over to them, putting his arms around their shoulders before proceeding to escort them out. "I'm taking you to your car and you're going to drive Marina back home. Honestly, Stiles, don't you know better than to listen to my conversations? And coming to the woods, what were you thinking?"

"I just…you know, it's – it's a lovely night, Dad," Stiles said, and Marina held in a snort. "And, like, nothing really happens around here, so – so I just wanted to see what was going on and Mar was bored, so…"

"Right," Mr. Stilinski sighed. "You and I are going to discuss a little something called _Invasion of Privacy_ when I get home."

A soft moan was all Stiles gave as a response that moment, surely biting back a verbal one that was at the tip of his tongue just to maintain the act so that Scott could make it out. Marina, on the other hand, was honestly incredibly relieved that Mr. Stilinski was letting them off without any consequences – save for the speech he was going to give Stiles. Despite her best efforts, however, she couldn't help but to glance back at the woods as they approached Stiles' beat up blue jeep. There was something inexplicably odd about the night, something that for some reason had her on edge.

Mr. Stilinski opened the passenger door for Marina once they arrive, while Stiles went around the car to get behind the wheel.

"Thanks," the soon to be sixteen year old smiled sheepishly. "And sorry, Mr. Stilinski…"

The stern look on Mr. Stilinski's face softened lightly and he couldn't help but to smile a little, patting Marina's head as a silent assurance that everything was fine. She grinned in return and got in the car, bringing the seatbelt across her body.

"You," Mr. Stilinski pointed at his son. "Go home straight after, you hear me?"

Without waiting for Stiles to respond, the sheriff closed the door and tapped the car, signaling them to move. The brown eyed boy begrudgingly turned on the vehicle and sped off soon after, driving away from the preserve.

"Shouldn't we look for Scott?" Marina frowned, looking at Stiles. He was lightly tapping the wheel with his fingers, moving his eyes around the road but seeming otherwise less worried than Marina.

"He'll be fine," he said. "He knows his way back."

Marina knew this to be true, but the same strange feeling at the pit of her stomach was preventing her from being fully assured of the former statement. Despite how he looked, Scott could handle himself well, that much she understood, but she just couldn't help but to worry about his wellbeing.

"Are you sure?" her voice came out much softer than intended, causing Stiles to look at the girl sitting by his side. They had known each other for more than ten years and have grown up together, yet Marina's worried expression had never really changed; her eyebrows gently creased, her eyes appeared bigger than usual, and the corners of her mouth tugged downward just a little, giving way to that glimmer of hope that things were really going to be alright.

Stiles nodded his head, giving Marina a smile. "Positive, Scott's a big boy," he let out a snort, bringing his eyes forward once more. "Besides, the worst thing that can happen is him losing his inhaler."

Pushing away her previous thoughts, Marina laughed and nodded her head, telling herself that she was being a worrywart for no reason. Deeming the night as creepy and odd was, at most, a survival instinct. Most creatures avoided going out when the sun was out, including humans, so perhaps the queasiness in her stomach was just her mind telling her that it was safer at home and not out in the woods.

Leaning her head against the window, Marina closed her eyes and exhaled, letting her body relax. The music was playing softly in the background and Stiles lightly sang to it, surely to keep his mind off the murder and the half of the body they saw. It was already close to it being midnight and despite her best efforts, Marina could feel her mind wavering off, tiredness taking over in a matter of seconds.

"Mar," Stiles' call made her open her eyes quickly, only to realize that she had dozed off for the remainder of the ride and was now on her house's driveway. Marina straightened up, pushing some of her hair back.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Do you need a ride tomorrow?" Stiles asked, watching as she began getting off the car. It was not uncommon in the slightest for him to do so, seeing as Marina had yet to get her license, but she shook her head.

"No, it's fine," she assured. "I'll use my bicycle."

"Stylish," Stiles commented sarcastically, raising both eyebrows. Marina stuck out her tongue, a little tired to properly respond as she usually would. She wished the guy a goodnight and closed the passenger door, watching as Stiles waving his hand before reversing the car and driving away.

Marina let out a small sigh and tiredly walked forward, going up the front steps to the royal blue door. Despite it not being a very big suburban house, what with her mother's salary as a Kindergarten teacher and her father's income as a local book shop owner, she genuinely loved the coziness of her home; warm colors, inviting decoration, and seemingly never ending cinnamon scented candles. It was comfortable and perfect for the McKinley family to live in without any problems.

Unsurprisingly, one of the lights of the study room near the entrance was turned on. Marina unzipped her jacket as she walked forward, seeing the back of her father's head as he concentrated on some papers.

"I'm home," she informed gently, though it still startled the 48 year old man. Harry McKinley turned the desk chair around and Marina smiled, hoping he wouldn't get mad at her for the time. "Sorry for coming in a little late, the guys needed a little extra help with their lacrosse gear."

"It's, uh, it's alright," he responded, moving one hand through his currently messy dark brown hair. Marina studied her dad, seeing the dark circles under his equally dark eyes and that his usual five o'clock shadow was a little more prominent.

"Everything alright? Where's mom?" she decided to ask. Marina hardly ever got into what she thought to be her parent's business, both because she didn't want to stress herself out with things that she ultimately couldn't help with and because they wouldn't just discuss such matters with her in a heartbeat. She was still at an age where "adult things" were exclusively "adult things".

Marina knew her dad, though, and he hardly ever allowed a good night's sleep to pass.

Harry nodded his head several times, moving his hand in a simple gesture that told her to not worry. "Your mom's sleeping, and so should you," he said, standing up from the chair. Marina chuckled a little as her father enveloped her in a hug, simultaneously welcoming her back home and wishing her a goodnight.

It had always been very safe to say that Marina was close to her parents, especially her dad. She wasn't one to consider herself the stereotypical daddy's little girl, but the two shared a special friendship and connection she, quite frankly, didn't have with her mother. From the summer days growing up where she spent time at the book shop, to simple hobbies such as hiking, the two did things that were very much theirs.

After kissing her dad's cheek, Marina went upstairs, taking into heavy consideration going to sleep and waking up a little early to take a shower. She closed her bedroom door and placed her jacket on the desk chair before throwing her body on the double bed. It was mighty comfortable, with soft white duvets that combined with her albeit bohemian and minimalist decoration.

The phone's vibration on her pocket made the girl open her eyes drowsily. She took it out and saw that she had received a text message from Scott, bringing a small smile onto her features.

_I'm home._

That was all it took for Marina to close her eyes once more, dropping the phone by her side and finally welcoming much needed rest.

* * *

It was the opened curtains and sunrays that made Marina stir the following morning, turning her head to the side. The familiar and comforting scent of brewing coffee reached her nostrils, letting her know that her mother was already awake and that she wasn't late for her first day. Marina brought the phone up, seeing that it was only seven-fifteenth but also that it barely had any charge. After connecting the phone, the young girl got up and went straight to the bathroom out in the hall.

Mornings in the McKinley household were always very calm, seeing as it was just the three of them there. Joanne, Marina's mother, was usually the first one to go to sleep and wake up, mostly due to her job, and the last one to get started with his day was Harry. Marina often wondered what her life would be like had her parents decided to have more children, and while she enjoyed the idea of a busy house with people constantly moving around, she knew actually living it would be completely different.

After showering and finishing her usual morning routine, Marina returned to her bedroom to get dressed. Her style varied greatly on her mood but she was one to put comfort as a top priority, opting for a pair of jeans to cover her rather short legs and boots instead of high heels – then again, she was just going to school, not Milan or to the New York City Fashion Week.

Marina brushed her long wet hair, staring at her reflection absentmindedly. Neither of her parents had her strong jaw, but according to what her mother has told her she looks exactly like her dead maternal grandmother, who was, according to Joanne as well, an absolute beauty. Not only that, but Marina had also inherited the woman's pair of defined eyebrows and for some reason back in elementary school a few kids made fun of how much they stood out against her pale skin.

Letting out a small sigh, Marina tussled her wet hair a little and placed a long cardigan over the blue shirt she chosen to wear. Her gaze landed on an old medium sized hourglass her grandfather made when she was born resting on the vanity. Flowers and swirls were carved on the edges of the mahogany wood, but other than that it was very simple and elegant. The sand inside had been slowly coming down for as long as Marina could remember and according to her mother – seeing as she knew much more about the family's history than her dad – it is meant to finish when she reaches her sixteenth birthday. Marina unconsciously picked it up, its weight rather heavy on her small hands, and looked at the cursive golden message on top: _The End Marks the Beginning. _

Growing up with books such as Harry Potter made Marina imagine various scenarios with this message, many of which ended with her having a fantastic adventure in a world so unlike her own. As a child she looked forward to living an extraordinary life, maybe even go to Hogwarts, too, but the years went by and even though she still hopes to make something of herself later in life, she's quite certain her grandfather just meant that big things will come now that she's on the brink of becoming an adult, now that she's really growing up.

Marina placed the hourglass back down and after making sure she had everything essential in her backpack, she went downstairs, giving her mother a smile as she stepped into the modern kitchen.

"You're awfully cheery for your first day," Joanne commented behind the kitchen island, leaning forward with the coffee mug in hand. Aside from the differencing hair color (hers was blonde), Marina was more her mother than her father looks wise; they both had the same eye color and according to him, the same smile. Really, physically Marina was the pure embodiment of the female members of the Newbury family.

"I just slept well," Marina chuckled, grabbing an apple from the basket. "And you know I don't exactly mind school," she added before taking a bite.

Joanne's chuckle softened as she studied her daughter, looking at the teenage girl tenderly. This small shift did not go unnoticed by Marina but she let it be, thinking that her mother was just having one those "my baby's growing up" phases. It has been going on for the past month, though, and while it freaked Marina out a little at first, she undoubtedly grew used to those weird few minutes.

"Your birthday's in two weeks…" Joanne said, bringing the coffee up to her lips. She lowered the mug once more, raising both eyebrows excitedly, "Anything you want?"

"You've been reminding me my birthday's coming up every week," Marina laughed, shaking her head a little. "But no, I _still_ haven't decided on something."

"Oh, jeez, you're turning sixteen, Marina!" her mother went on, rolling her eyes a little. "Do you want a party?"

"Not enough friends," the other countered lightly before taking another bite of her apple. She wasn't bitter about her lack of friends, having grown up that way, and truthfully, Marina liked her small and intimate group.

"A shopping spree?"

"I'm fine with the clothes I have."

"Oh, my God," Joanne deadpanned and Marina grinned. "Would you stop being considerate for just one moment and ask for something? _Anything!_ Just behave like a normal teenage girl."

Marina laughed, "Alright, alright! Let's see…" she leaned forward on the counter, biting her inner cheek as she tried to think of something reasonable to ask for her birthday. Any other person would have surely opted for a car and while Marina had considered doing so, she knew she first had to get a license and going around town in her bicycle had grown to be therapeutic, so a car was something that could be put for later.

"How about…" she clicked her tongue, pursing her lips together. "Oh! How about a dog?!" she grinned.

Joanne gaped, looking a bit taken aback by her daughter's suggestion.

"A-A dog?" Marina nodded her head vigorously. "Sweetie…you've never been that great taking care of animals."

"Mom!" the younger girl gasped. "I was s_even_, I didn't know anything about hamsters!"

"Still…" Joanne grimaced, making Marina look indignantly at her mother. The latter chuckled, "Okay, how about you go to school now and I'll go to work and we'll discuss this later?"

Marina scowled, wondering just why her mother would insist that she had to choose a birthday present at the moment only to dismiss her suggestion by saying that they would talk about it later. Nevertheless, Marina agreed with a nod and gave Joanne a goodbye kiss, saying that she wasn't going to forget about this conversation before finally heading out the door.

The burgundy bicycle leaning against the front porch's railing had actually been Marina's fourteenth birthday present. She has taken incredibly good care of it the last two years, always cleaning it and making sure it was spotless – her bicycle was what a car would be to the enthusiasts. Riding it every single day made Marina know Beacon Hills better than the back of her hand and going around town, admiring its greenery despite having seen it her entire life, made her mornings start off well – there was really nothing better than the smell of fresh air and the cold wind hitting your skin to wake you up.

Marina chained her bicycle to the stand in the school's parking lot, smiling lightly at the sight of Stiles and Scott talking vigorously near the grand front doors. She usually tended to be more of a morning person, but it sometimes surprised her how much energy Stiles, in particular, had at such an early time. She hoisted her yellow backpack over both shoulders and went to them, able to catch a few of the words they were exchanging as she approached.

"A wolf bit you? No, not a chance," Stiles said, shaking his head. Marina opened her eyes widely just as Scott took notice of her, going a bit paler at the sight of the girl's clear worry.

"You got bitten?" she gasped, getting closer and sort of closing the small triangle. "Oh, my God! Are you okay?"

"Of course he is," Stiles spoke before Scott could, dismissing Marina's small glare. "It's impossible for you to have been bitten a wolf."

For some reason, Marina reached forward and lifted the hem of Scott's shirt a little, having the smallest of hunches that the bite was there. She gaped and her jaw dropped at the bloody bandage just as the injured boy said that he heard howling shortly after he was attacked.

"Did you get it checked?" she asked, well aware that his mother was a nurse.

"Uh…yeah?" Scott responded, his tone going a little higher before pursing his lips together.

"Scott!" Marina scolded. "You can't just drop some alcohol and put a bandage over it, what if whatever bit you has an infection?"

"Why do you guys say it wasn't a wolf?" Scott went on instead, looking a little frustrated. Marina sighed exasperatedly, crossing both arms over her chest – leave it to him to worry more about the identification of the animal than the bite itself, though, she thought, that must at least mean he was fine.

"Because California doesn't have wolves," Stiles answered. "Not for the last sixty years."

"Really?" Scott's shoulders visibly deflated.

"Yes, really," Marina sighed. "There aren't any wolves in California."

A small sigh escaped from Scott's lips as he sunk in the new information. Marina shared a quick look with Stiles, wondering just why their friend was so adamant on believing that he had been attacked by a wolf. Scott's expression quickly shifted and he looked at the two of them once more.

"Well, if you don't believe me about the wolf, then you're definitely not going to believe me when I tell you that I saw the body," he said, lowering his voice a little.

Stiles' eyes looked close to popping out and he staggered a bit, "You what?! Are you kidding me?"

"I wish," Scott grumbled, all the while Marina's imagination went into overdrive; the upper half of the body, all pale and covered in dried blood, lying coldly on the wood's ground. "I'm going to have nightmares for months."

"That's freaking awesome!" Stiles exclaimed, bouncing about.

"That's disgusting," Marina cringed simultaneously, fairly certain she had lost her future appetite.

"This is seriously the best thing that's happened to this town since…" Stiles went on, though his original train of thought disappeared as his eyes looked past Scott. "…since the birth of Lydia Martin who's walking toward us right now."

Marina looked over her shoulder, watching as the strawberry blonde beauty strutted to the front doors. She always dressed incredibly fashionable, easily standing out among the crowd of casual t-shirt wearing students. Marina supposed it's what made Lydia who she was, though, without the killer wardrobe her impact wouldn't be as sharp.

"Hey, Lydia…" Stiles grinned, lamely waving one hand. "How are you? You look…" – the popular girl walked past them without giving a single glance – "Like you're going to ignore me."

Marina pursed her lips together, Stiles' strong infatuation never ceasing to amaze her. She was about to mention this when Lydia's halting figure made her freeze on the spot, while both Stiles' and Scott's eyes opened widely. Was she finally taking notice of her best friend? Was this Stiles' moment to shine?

Lydia turned around, surprisingly looking at the trio but more specifically at Marina. A series of questions continued flashing in the girl's mind, mostly wondering whether the fashion-forward girl was going to criticize her casual outfit and lack of flashy objects. For some reason, being under Lydia's gaze made Marina feel self-conscious, shown primarily in the way the dark haired girl tucked a few strands behind her ear.

"What's your name?" Lydia asked, pressing her lips together and forming a small pout. Had Marina felt anything other than shock and nerves she would have surely sighed.

"Marina…Marina McKinley," she responded. "We've, uh, we've been in the same group since…forever." Did it come out as bitter? Marina surely hoped not.

Lydia made the smallest of sounds of acknowledgement, as if just remembering this to be true. To be honest, Marina didn't really take the girl's unawareness of her existence as surprising or insulting. They hung out with different people, had different interests, and pretty much lived in different worlds aside from the slightly shared territory in school – there had been no need for the two of them to communicate with one another.

"You look different," Lydia stated, doing a small glance over Marina before sharply turning around and walking away, her long hair bouncing with every step she took.

Marina blinked several times, barely registering the way Scott laughed and Stiles took a couple of steps back, looking, if possible, even more shocked than she did. To the latter it all surely had to do with the fact that Lydia had indirectly communicated with him, too, but Marina's mind wavered into a completely different direction.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, looking at her best friends. "Is that a good thing?"

Scott nodded a little, slightly shrugging his shoulders. "If she actually stopped to look at you I'm sure it must be good in her world."

"So vague, though…" Marina mumbled, letting out a small sigh.

"Who cares?" Stiles finally chirped, looking positively ecstatic. "Lydia Martin took notice of us!"

"Well," Marina smiled, holding in a giggle. "It's more like she looked over at your general direction but took notice of me." Scott laughed at this, unable to hold it in any longer, and earned a playful glare from Stiles.

"You're the cause of this, you know," he nudged the guy, before dropping both arms around their shoulders and pushing them forward. "Dragging me down to your nerd depths. I'm a nerd by association, I've been Scarlet-nerded by you."

Marina laughed, "The fact that you can make that connection makes you a nerd, Stiles."

"Shut up," Stiles bumped her waist lightly, a grin plastered on his features as they stepped into the crowded halls of Beacon Hills High.

* * *

_H__ello! _

_My name's Maria. No, the OC is not me at all, I just like the name Marina (and Marina & the Diamonds), I'm pretty new to the Teen Wolf fandom, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter. I'm a little nervous, to be honest, so I'm kind of taking baby steps into it, haha. :)_

_I made a Tumblr for the story, too, so just search **mariawritesthings**_ dot _**tumblr **_dot _**com **_

_I'd also like to thank my lovely and wonderful and gorgeous friend Dani for being my partner in crime and always listening to all my writing rants - you're an absolute doll!_

_With that said, please do leave a review telling me your thoughts, I'd greatly appreciate it!_

_xx,  
Maria.  
_

_**edited version**  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

First days of school have always been very pleasant and tranquil for Marina, she might even go as far as to say that exciting. The idea of beginning a new year was one she tried to think well of instead of falling in the typical "_I don't want to be here" _state of mind. Truth be told, Marina has never had a problem with learning, she actually enjoys it – it's just the studying part that sort of slows her down and exasperates her a little.

Needless to say, aside from the odd encounter with Lydia Martin during the morning, the rest of the day went well for Marina – and Scott, _especially_ Scott. She got a chance to reconnect with a few classmates, the general question of how the summer went always the conversation starter. The shaggy haired boy, on the other hand, was constantly making googly eyes with the class' new student, Allison Argent, something neither Marina nor Stiles failed to take notice of – though, then again, Scott was not very subtle to begin with. It was the first time she saw him so into a girl, making his previous crushes seem like child's play, and Marina couldn't help but to think of it as absolutely adorable.

Once the last class had come to an end, Marina wished the guys good luck on their lacrosse practice and left to her dad's corner book shop, cleverly named Book at Me. It was a small but colorful and artsy place located near the heart of the town, pretty well known by everyone due to the amount of years it has been there. Most of the costumers nowadays were young adults looking for a place to quietly read and drink decently priced coffee, but Marina helped a few older people every now and then.

"I'm here," she announced, popping her head inside her dad's office at the back of the first floor. Harry looked up from the papers he was reading and smiled.

"How was your first day?"

Marina shrugged a little, "It was fine, no biggie. Uh, Gabriela told me Maggie isn't coming later because she's sick," she said, to which Harry nodded his head, having already been informed. "I can stay till closing time, if you want. It's not like I have any homework."

Harry sat back against his desk chair, looking a bit more tired than Marina was used to seeing. She knew it was a bit silly to worry about him, her dad could take care of himself incredibly well, but he was still her dad. Harry nodded his head lightly, a pleasant smile on his features.

"Thanks," he said and gestured outside. "Now get to work."

Marina snorted and mockingly saluted before stepping out of the office. During the day, Book at Me was usually lighted up by sunlight because of its many windows. Beautiful shadows were casted through the books and on each aisle, the smell of coffee always lingered about, and it was so quiet that the sound of the flipping papers every few minutes became the store's background music. A local artist had painted colorful swirls on the walls and took care of the decoration, giving it a very retro and faded vintage look that was pretty popular among the regular crowd.

The book shop had become like a second home for Marina. Growing up she spent the majority of her days after school there, either doing homework with Stiles, Scott, and her mother, or simply reading. She knew every scratch on each shelve, the areas where the wooded floor squeaked if you stepped on it, and how you have to tap the cashing machine on the side to open it. The hours there were magical and despite not doing much other than organizing books the majority of the time, it was memorable.

A torrent of rain began pouring later that night. The shop was empty and she was the only employee there save for her dad, who was still back in his office dealing with the shop's finances. She sat on the stool behind the front desk, leaning against the counter a little as she thought of something else she could possibly do to pass the last hour. Marina was usually back home by six in the evening, her shifts were solely after school and while the sun was out, so night hours were fairly new to her.

The sound of the door opening and the bells chiming made Marina look up from her chipped nails. It wasn't the fact that Stiles had rushed inside that surprised her, he was there with Scott regularly, but his heavy panting and frantic state. Marina quickly stood up from the stool, walking out from the area just as Stiles went past her with large strides.

"Stiles, what's wrong?" she asked, following him down the aisle. Stiles made an abrupt stop in the mythology section, his eyes scanning over each book rapidly. "Stiles…" Marina called a little softer once more, noticing the way his hands shook.

"I-I overheard my dad on the phone," he began explaining and Marina creased her eyebrows, watching as Stiles grabbed the newest edition of a book about ancient myths. "The reports from the – the fiber analysis,"

"Breathe…" Marina whispered, putting one hand on his shoulder. He shakily did as told, taking a deep breath before letting out and finally turning to look down at her, the seriousness in his otherwise lively eyes taking her aback.

"They found animal hairs on the body," he continued, his voice close to a whisper. "A wolf's, to be exact."

Marina's eyebrows rose, having not expected for this to be punchline. She was more surprised by how solemn Stiles was about all of this than the fact that the attack had been made by a wolf.

"Well," she began, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sometimes wolf do migrate," she shrugged one shoulder lightly. "It's not very common, but you know…it can happen."

"But…" Stiles had quickly interjected just to trail off, making Marina furrow her eyebrows again. He looked up at the ceiling, passing one hand over his buzz cut brown hair, as if trying to organize the dozens of things going through his mind.

The silence that fell between them was defining, making the sound of the air conditioner sharp and loud. The hairs in Marina's body rose involuntarily, though this was probably because of the way Stiles was acting. She hardly ever saw the guy looking or behaving like that and half of Marina was expecting a joke or a loud laugh to come out of him anytime soon. Her eyes traveled to the book in his hand, however, when nothing else was said, wondering why he barged into the store searching for something in that particular section after what he overheard.

"What about that?" she asked softly, lightly gesturing to it. Stiles looked down at the item as well, his mouth opening a little though no words came out. Knowing him, he was probably trying to come up with a half-assed excuse, it came as second nature to the boy, but Stiles knew Marina, too, very well, and he couldn't possibly expect her to believe whatever he was trying to come up with.

He pursed his lips together tightly, almost as if fighting with himself for the second time. Marina gasped lightly in disbelief and was about to speak once more, force the guy to tell her what was going on.

"You should have seen him at practice today, Mar!" he finally spoke, a certain amount of plea to his voice. "He caught _every-single-ball_ and moved so freaking fast! He wasn't like that yesterday and you know Scott can barely power walk without losing air."

Marina gaped, her facial expression after Stiles' rambled words changing every few seconds as she properly processed everything; from what had apparently gone on at that day's practice, to the fact that Stiles was assuming Scott's bite had something…mythological or supernatural.

"So…you're saying that Scott…" she closed her eyes, licking her dry lips before opening them once more. "You're saying he is…"

"I'm not saying anything," Stiles quickly interrupted. "But I'm not…I'm not dismissing it either…"

"But, Stiles…" Marina's words faded. By the way he was looking at her, she knew that he, too, thought all of that to be impossible and yet for some reason it appeared to have been the first thing to come to his mind.

The two merely stared at each other, shoulders deflated, with expressions of utter confusion and bewilderment. Marina loosely hugged herself, that weird sensation she had felt in the woods bringing goosebumps onto her skin and making the odd situation much more believable than it should be. She found it difficult to wrap her head around Stiles' suggestion and while his plea would have otherwise fallen into deaf ears had it not been her, the way his jaw twitched showed that his jumpiness over the matter had far much more to do with the actual "situation" than his ADD.

"Look, I'll get to the bottom of this, okay?" he assured and lightly chuckled. "Maybe it's just my imagination, you know?"

Marina softly glared at him after a few seconds, keen on loosening up the tensed atmosphere. "Maybe," she agreed, smiling a little. "You do watch a lot of classic horror movies."

"Hey! There's no such thing as too much when it comes to a good horror movie!" Stiles said defensively, though the playful glint in his eyes assured Marina that for at least that moment he was back to his usual self.

Marina looked past Stiles when the taller figure of her dad appeared down the hall. The younger boy looked over his shoulder and gave Harry a nervous smile, for some reason unable to act normal.

"You're holding a book, that's a surprise," Harry smirked, causing for the smallest of blushes to appear on Stiles' cheeks. He laughed nervously, bringing one hand to the back of his neck.

"I-I have my reading seasons, Mr. M," he shrugged his shoulders. Harry raised both eyebrows, having always gotten kick out of putting Stiles on uncomfortable situations. Marina had given up in ceasing her dad's teasing years ago, really.

"Mythology?" Harry asked after looking at the book in the boy's hand. He shifted his gaze up to Stiles who was nodding his head, the corners of his lips lowering the tiniest of bit, before looking over at Marina who hadn't seem to notice. Harry chuckled a little and patted Stiles' shoulder, moving him forward, "Come on, you get a discount."

"_What?_" Stiles groaned, watching as the book was snatched from his hand. "I was hoping I could just…borrow the book!"

"This isn't a library, Stiles," Marina rolled her eyes, leaning against the front counter while Harry scanned the book.

"Yeah, I know, but like, I'm basically family!" he went on, moving his arms animatedly.

"Which is precisely why you get a discount," Harry grinned. "That will be fifteen dollars."

Stiles gasped, his mouth falling ajar. "_Fifteen_?! Come on!"

"_Stiles_!" Marina said exasperatedly, throwing her head back – the boy could really put off doing something for so long, even things that were so incredibly simple.

* * *

It seemed as though Scott hadn't noticed the way Stiles occasionally acted around him the following day, whether this was because the former was more interested in staring at Allison, Marina didn't know. During lunch the conversation, much to Stiles' relief and the girl's growing suspicion that he hadn't informed Scott about what he heard the night before, mostly centered around the fact that Scott had actually managed to ask Allison out on a date to Lydia's party that very same night.

"That's great, Scott," Marina smiled, settling her bottle of water down. If anything, Scott seemed even happier than his usual self. The more time she spent around him, the more she believed that Stiles was just imagining things. "I hope you kids have fun at the party."

"You aren't going?" Scott furrowed his eyebrows and Marina shook her head, proceeding to take a bite from her sandwich.

"I have other things to do," she said, to which Stiles scoffed.

"Oh, please," he rolled his eyes. "The most you do on a Friday night is watch reruns of Full House. This is _Lydia Martin's_ party, Marina, open invitation."

Marina resisted the urge to let out a long sigh, the same old conversation about going to parties or staying in for the night surely about to pop up. The three of them were usually people who preferred a night elsewhere than going to a house party, but this time around Scott was going because of Allison (understandable), Stiles was adamant on attending because, well, it's in Lydia Martin's house (semi-understandable?), but Marina couldn't really think of a reason she would willingly go.

"And that's all fine and dandy, it really is, but you guys know I don't particularly like crowded places," she responded. This seemed to have put at ease any form of counterargument from the two boys, for Stiles closed his mouth and Scott's gaze softened a little.

It wasn't that Marina had a terrible time around crowds, she didn't get very anxious or felt claustrophobic like a lot of people, but after years of trying to put herself out there and experiencing how truly tiring it could be, as well as a bit humiliating if you didn't do it right, the thought of forcing herself to socialize around groups that were starkly different from her made Marina see a wild house party more of a hassle than a night of fun.

"So, I'll gladly watch Full House while you two enjoy the night elsewhere and occasionally send me pictures of what happens, telling me how much I'm missing out," she finished with a grin, simultaneously letting the guys know she wasn't mad at them. They both chuckled a little, soon changing the subject onto other matters.

Marina had originally thought of asking Stiles why he hadn't spoken to Scott about the more serious topic, but she never got a chance to do so during what remained of their lunch time because Scott was there and the classes she had afterwards weren't with them. All Marina could rely on was the thought that despite how he usually was, Stiles actually sort of knew what he was doing.

As she promised during homeroom that day, Marina went to the lacrosse field after school. She buried her hands inside the pockets of her jacket as she approached the bleachers, staring at the field. The team was just beginning to accommodate and the eccentric Coach Finstock stood near the bench, already scolding Greenberg.

"Marina!"

Said girl turned her gaze to the bleachers, surprise to see Allison waving one hand and beckoning her to sit down next to her – and Lydia Martin. Despite the friendly smile, Marina couldn't help but to wonder exactly why Allison was inviting her over when, at most, all they did was exchange a few glances during some of the classes they shared and maybe a word or two – though, well, she was kind of starting to date her best friend, so maybe Allison wanted to get acquainted with her, too. With this in mind, Marina smiled up at the brunette and went over to her.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting by her side.

"I didn't tell you earlier, but I really like your boots," Allison complimented, looking down at the white lace-up ankle boots she had chosen to wear that day. The fact that Allison took notice of them easily made Marina give her a stamp of approval.

"Thanks!" she smiled. "I have a pretty extensive collection," Marina admitted with a laugh. Allison seemed genuinely impressed by this but Lydia, apparently having actually paid attention to the two, lightly wrinkled her nose, her eyes remaining on the field.

"If only you had variety on the rest of your wardrobe as well, you mostly wear dark colors," she said, ticking her tongue before giving Marina a pointed look and returning her gaze to the players.

Marina had to give Lydia a double take, totally not expecting the words she said. She looked down at her attire for the day and to be honest, Marina didn't see anything wrong with it – a long sleeved dress, leggings, and boots, pretty simple. Allison patted the girl's knee, giving her a smile that silently told her to not take Lydia's comment to heart, it was, in the end, Lydia being Lydia, and after an entire life with her around, Marina couldn't have expected anything less from the strawberry blonde.

Taking in some air, Marina looked down at the players just in time to see Stiles slumping on the bench while Scott ran to the field with his helmet on. Coach Finstock gathered them around, getting everyone's attention except Scott's, who Marina noticed to have looked over at the bleachers seconds before Allison waved her hand in response, the smile on her features resembling that of the typical lovesick high school girl – how sweet.

After about a minute, the players went into their positions. Sports have never really been Marina's forte or area of interest, but when one of her best friends was auditioning to make first string in quite a violent sport, it was inevitable to feel nervous. The whistle blew, the game started, and not a minute had passed before Scott was on the ground because of Jackson Whittemore, making Marina and those around her wince.

What happened next, however, was something no one would ever forget.

From awkward bench warmer, Marina was witnessing a Scott McCall that was far more powerful and confident than she had ever seen. He was moving fast, almost unnoticeable, swiftly grabbing the ball and dashing to the other net. The awe shocking her body had a bitter after taste, causing her to swallow hard as the conversation she had with Stiles the night before played clearly in her mind. Two nights before Scott wouldn't have been able to make the jump he did without falling on his ass and shakily taking out his inhaler, two nights before Scott wouldn't have been able to run that fast, dodging everyone that came in his way with so much ease.

It wasn't until everyone was already on their feet and Scott had been called by Coach Finstock that Marina heard all the loud cheers. She looked up at Allison, who was smiling proudly at the boy she had a crush on, and then averted her gaze over to Stiles who was standing still and looking incredibly pale. Marina stood up and made her way down just as Finstock announced that Scott made it to the first string, causing the other players to erupt in loud cheers as well – everyone except Stiles.

"Stiles," Marina called, jogging over to him. He suddenly seemed to have remembered where he was and looked down at her – needless to say, they were both thinking the same thing.

"I-I have to go," Stiles stuttered and ran off before Marina could say anything else, leaving the girl standing on that same spot utterly confused. She bit her bottom lip, looking over at a celebrating Scott who couldn't stop smiling. The two made eye contact for a small moment and despite herself, Marina smiled lightly back at the boy, waving her hand a little, because even though she was incredibly weirded out by what was happening, she genuinely felt happy for his achievement.

Letting out a sigh, she looked back at the area Stiles had run off to, wondering whether he would be able to find an answer to everything.

Marina didn't stick around much later, not that interested in seeing the rest of the match to see who else made it. She had personally congratulated Scott when he had a spare moment, giving him two thumbs up and a wide grin before bidding Allison (and Lydia) goodbye. Marina found the ride back to her house one that she had gravely needed; it gave a chance for her endless thoughts and questions to come at bay, even if just for a several minutes.

By the time Marina hopped off the bicycle her nose was a little red due to the wind. She placed it against the railing and took out the keys to open the front door, realizing once she was inside the house that there was no one there.

"Hello?" Marina called anyway just to be sure. When no response came, she smiled a little, happy to have this rare moment of alone time and absolute quietness.

Marina went up to her room and took off her boots, wiggling her toes a little against the cold wooded floor. She massaged the back of her neck, considering for a moment to call Stiles and see what he was doing, whether he found anything. Marina quickly decided against this, if there was one thing the guy didn't like was being interrupted while he was in the middle of important work, especially if it was just to ask how said work was going.

For a lack of anything better to do, Marina grabbed her towel, tied her hair up in a high bun, and headed to the bathroom for a long warm bath – the day was perfect for it. She needed to relax, think, find a logical answer to the things that have been suddenly going on and really just let loose. The whole situation with Scott had left her mind absolutely perplexed; a part of it still couldn't find room to believe that was Stiles was suggesting was actually true.

Marina poured lavender scented soap to the tub as it finished filling. She turned the water off and got inside after stripping off her clothes, dropping them by the floor. Her cold skin welcomed the warm water with a big embrace and she let out a shaky breath, hugging her knees close to her chest and taking it all in. Marina has always liked chillier weather, but one of the best things about it was being able to go home to a warm bath or shower right after, she was already planning on making some hot chocolate later just for kicks.

Marina closed her eyes and leaned back, letting the scent enrich her nostrils and for the warmth of the water to properly loosen up her tensed muscles. There was something inexplicably serene about that moment, almost putting Marina in an automatic state of meditation. Her mind was no longer there, she could barely feel her body or the water around it, and her eyes rolled back. Marina would say she dozed off.

_A twenty-something blonde woman rushed through the royal blue door with tears threatening to fall from her brown eyes and panting heavily. The strands framing her young face, the uniform she wore, and the glowing red lipstick showed that she had been once dressed neatly. The young woman ran up the stairs, skipping a few steps despite the obvious lack of air and unfazed or perhaps barely taking notice of the fact that a tear had already fallen from one eye._

_She fully opened one of the doors that had been left ajar and a blood curling scream erupted from the bottom of her throat as she stumbled back. Her lips trembled, bigger and longer tears continued trailing down her cheeks, and she brought her hand up to her mouth just as the first sob made its way out. It was followed by more without a single pause and she was soon crying hysterically on the floor, watching the figure of her teenage brother dangling limp from the ceiling._

_"No!" she cried loudly._

Marina woke up with a loud gasp, water splashing slightly about. She sat up, breathing heavily while an agonizing pain burned in her chest. There was a strong urge to cry throbbing in her throat but no tears welled up in her eyes. The image of the boy…how young he was, and then the young woman, crying, defeated, and absolutely crushed. Her pain had felt so real, almost as if it had been her who went through such a traumatizing event.

Yet, it had been nothing but a dream.

Marina tried to steady her shaky breathing. She cupped some water with both hands and rinsed her face, telling herself over and over again that it had not been real. Her eyes traveled to the opened door on their own, the house not feeling as empty as before. There was no one standing there, though, no steps echoing down the hall, no doors opening or being closed, just the sound of her quiet breathing and the water moving whenever she did.

The vibration of her phone on the toilet lid made Marina scream, startling the young girl to the other corner of the bathtub. She breathed in and out rapidly, placing one hand above her chest to calm down. Moving forward, Marina grasped the phone and saw that Stiles had texted her.

_I need your help. You're going to the party. _

The previous thoughts of staying in the night were thrown out the window, both because Stiles needed her help and because the last place Marina wanted to be in at the moment was her own house.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

_Whoaaaa, you guys! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, from the reviews to following and favoriting the story, I'm genuinely touched by how welcoming y'all have been. Really, thank you! :)_

_I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, I'm working on the next one and will hopefully have it up by next week. _

_If you're not already, feel free to follow the story's tumblr **mariawritesthings**. _

_See you all soon!_

_xx,  
Maria._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Are you alright? You sound a little jumpy."

Marina held her phone between her shoulder and head, tying the pair of vans onto her feet as she spoke with her mother. It took her less than five seconds to get out of the bathtub and head to her room, fiddling about to find a decent outfit for the night – Marina would never admit that she was subconsciously trying to wear livelier and different things to possibly surprise Lydia; her comment earlier that day was transferred into her brain as more of a challenge than the girl merely pointing out the truth.

"Yeah," Marina answered. She _was_ jumpy, but her mother didn't really need to know all the reasons as to why her voice sounded a little breathless. "I'm just getting ready."

"Well, be home by eleven, okay?" Joanne said. "I know it's Friday and that you have nothing else to do, but things have been a little weird lately."

Marina raised her eyebrows, telling herself that "weird" was an understatement – but once again, her mother didn't need to hear this, it would only induce an array of questions that Marina was honestly not up to answering, mostly because she didn't really have anything coherent to say. She agreed to the curfew, nonetheless, and bid goodbye before hanging up. Marina looked at herself in the mirror, giving her own reflection a curt nod of approval; faded skinny jeans, a loose sweater with a plain shirt underneath, and vans. She tussled her hair a little just in time to hear a car honking several times outside – Stiles.

After sliding her phone and keys in the pockets, Marina ran down the stairs, her eyes locking with the royal blue front door. The sensation of her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach was heavy, nearly making her trip on the final step – it was the door in her dream, the one about the young woman and the boy. Marina slowly placed her hands on the smooth door, studying it despite the fact that she had seen it her entire life. Did the dream really take place in her house?

Another round of honking brought Marina back. She shook the thoughts away and quickly went outside, locking the door. She ran to Stiles' car, apologizing as she hopped inside.

"Why do you need –" Marina's former question was cut off as she took notice of the guy's attire; a tie and a suit. She bit her inner cheek, holding in a laugh. "Stiles, why are you dressed like that? We're going to a house party, not homecoming."

A hint of red quickly formed on his cheeks and he pursed his lips tightly together, turning his attention to driving instead of answering Marina's question. It was obvious that Stiles had the tiniest bit of hope that he would impress Lydia with his sharp, "mature" look. They were going there for a mission, one that Marina had yet to understand, but leave it to him to have a hidden agenda that revolved around the girl he had a crush on.

"So, why exactly do you need my help?" she asked, looking over at Stiles.

"Well," he grimaced. "I kind of tried to tell Scott about…you know, lycanthropy,"

'_That's just a fancy word for werewolf_,' Marina thought with an eye roll but kept quiet, urging Stiles to continue.

"And that he's been acting weird, with super abilities even since he was bitten. I warned him that there's a full moon tonight," this was something Marina didn't know. "And I told him to cancel his date with Allison. He got…" Stiles swallowed, furrowing his eyebrows. "He got really aggressive."

"How?" Scott and aggressiveness have never been part of the same sentence. He was the sweetest, most mellow kid Marina has ever met.

"For starters he pinned me to the wall," Stiles said, a hint of the usual sarcasm in his voice. Marina's eyes went wide, unable to picture Scott doing something of the sort. "Then he knocked down my chair and left claw marks on the back."

Her shoulders deflated a little and Marina stared straight ahead, putting two and two together. She still couldn't quite possibly pinpoint that the reason why Scott was acting that way and doing things regular humans wouldn't do with such ease is because he is a werewolf – it just wasn't possible, things like that belonged in books and movies, not real life – but at the same time, Marina found it difficult to think of any other explanation. Regardless of her clashig thoughts, however, she was still going to help out Stiles and keep an eye out for Scott; it's simply what friends did.

Lydia Martin's house was everything Marina thought it would be. Big, perhaps even glamorous, and crowded with an endless stream of high school students, some that Marina was certain she had never seen before. Stiles had parked the car nearby and the two were making their way inside, making sure to not bump into a lot of people – at least Marina was. The music was pounding against the walls, its bass making everything vibrate; there was loud laughter, loud chatter, and for a brief moment Marina missed the quietness of her house. Stiles had been quick to blend in, bobbing his head from side to side and greeting a couple of guys he knew from school.

In an attempt to spot Scott, Marina took a different direction while Stiles remained with the guys – the faster they made sure he was fine, the quicker she would be able to get out of there. She tiptoed a few times, looking over the crowd for any sign of the familiar shaggy hair. It was during one of these moments that Marina bumped into someone, staggering back a little. She quickly looked up, seeing that it had been Danny Māhealani whom she had bumped into.

"Sorry, Danny," Marina apologized, giving the taller guy a small smile. He had always been very kind to her – to everyone, really – making her wonder at times just why and how Danny could have someone like Jackson for a best friend, the two were polar opposites.

"It's alright," he shook his head, smiling a little. "Are you okay?"

Marina nodded her head, "Yeah. Have you seen Scott?"

"Yeah," Danny said and pointed to the doors that led to the backyard. "I saw him dancing with Allison over there. Those two seem to having a good time," he smirked. Marina smiled a little more and chuckled, visibly relaxing now that she knew Scott was fine and keeping things under control.

Danny looked past Marina and his eyes shone, "Oh, he's here," he grinned before looking down at the girl. "I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Alright, thanks," she smiled and moved aside, watching as Danny happily went to greet his boyfriend near the entrance.

Marina let out some air and looked around, wondering what she should do next. She knew where Scott was but had lost track of Stiles, and it would be rude of her to interrupt the former's date with his dream girl. She also didn't recognize anyone in the crowd moving around her, but at the same time Marina didn't want to stick against a wall, it would only reinforce the idea that she was antisocial when this could be further from the truth.

Giving herself a mental pat in the back, Marina moved forward and went to get a drink outside, figuring this action was better than simply standing in the middle of a room. It was a little difficult for her to distinguish what had alcohol from what didn't, seeing as everything was served in clear bowls save for the beer; one had liquid similar to lemon juice and the other had what she deemed as fruit punch. Just as Marina was about to choose the red one, however, she heard Allison calling out Scott's name a couple of feet behind her. She quickly turned around, watching as Allison disappeared inside in a hurry.

Was it really happening? Was Scott really transforming?

Putting the empty plastic cup down, Marina quickly followed after Allison, knowing she would lead her to Scott and possibly Stiles. She moved people aside, too preoccupied to apologize for doing so. Marina eventually made it outside, seeing a frustrated Allison standing still while Scott drove away, the tires screeching loudly against the road. She jogged down the front stairs and stood next to the girl, keeping her eyes on the retreating car.

"What happened?" Marina asked, averting her gaze to Allison only to realize that she looked far more confused.

"I-I don't know," she shook her head and looked down at Marina. It was clear that Allison was hurt by Scott's sudden action. "Is he okay? Was he sick?"

"Probably…" Marina smiled a little, trying but failing to comfort her.

Their attention was quickly diverted to another figure standing across them. He was tall, with dark hair and green eyes, and despite wearing a dark jacket, Marina could tell that he was very fit. There was a very mysterious air about him, though, one that easily put her on edge and made her take a tentative step back. He was smiling a little at Allison, but his jaw remained tensed and his eyes weren't exactly showing a friendly vibe.

"Allison," he spoke. "I'm a friend of Scott's, my name's Derek."

Marina gaped, having never heard of a Derek before, especially coming from Scott. She quickly looked at Allison, noticing that she looked less skeptical about the guy but still confused.

"He wasn't feeling well and told me to give you a ride home," Derek went on.

"Oh…" Allison creased her eyebrows. She passed a hand through her hair, now showing much more frustration than before, perhaps even anger. Marina wanted to speak up, tell her that leaving with Derek was a bad idea and that she had never heard of him before, but no words managed to come out of her mouth.

"You can trust me," Derek added with a reassuring nod. "He was excited about the date, actually, wouldn't shut up…"

This particular bit, although it made both girls look up, only managed to confuse Marina even more. Scott _was_ very excited about going on a date with Allison and he really did spend all day talking about it, but how would Derek know? And if they really had been friends, why hadn't Scott mentioned him? Did Stiles know? Was she out of the loop?

After a few seconds of silence Allison let out a sigh and nodded her head tiredly, "Yeah, alright," she agreed. "Thanks."

Derek smiled and gestured towards his black Camaro, urging Allison to come with him. Marina watched with opened eyes as she started walking forward with her head down. She couldn't just stand there and let Allison leave with a stranger, someone she thought was associated with Scott but really wasn't – at least as far as Marina knew. This Derek guy screamed trouble and if Allison was important to Scott, then she was to her as well.

"Wait, Allison!" she finally found her voice, making both of them halt. Derek furrowed his eyebrows a little as Marina jogged over to the taller girl. "I'm staying with you, remember? I'll, uh, I need to leave with you, too," she said, now looking at Derek.

Allison averted her gaze between the two, finally resting it on Marina before she slowly nodded her head – the whole thing with Scott had clearly thrown her off, she didn't look as lively as she did before and was surely bound to go to bed once she got home.

"You're right, sorry," she sighed once more, passing a hand through her long hair. Allison looked at Derek, "You don't mind, do you?"

Marina squared her shoulders a little and raised her chin, trying to show Derek that she was grounded on her decision despite how genuinely intimidating the guy was. He seemed quite annoyed with the slight alteration of plans, whatever they might have been, but ultimately nodded his head and got behind the wheel without saying anything, pleasing Marina. She urged Allison to go first, letting her slide onto the backseat while she settled on the passenger seat.

Riding in Derek's car had to perhaps be one of the most awkward and tense situations in which Marina had found herself in during the last couple of years. She was keeping her hands by her lap, not wanting to get too comfortable in case Derek thought she was letting her guard down. Marina would looked at the older guy through the corner of her eyes every now and then; his eyes were always firmly on the road ahead, his lips constantly formed a thin line, and for some reason he looked angry, at what exactly, Marina didn't know. Maybe that was just his natural facial expression.

Allison would speak up sometimes to give directions, but other than that nothing else was said for the rest of the drive. Had Marina been in a familiar place, she would have turned on the radio to at least have background music, but it seemed as though Derek liked silence – _'Not really helping your image, dude,_' Marina thought at one point.

"Here."

Allison pointed to the right after several minutes and Derek pulled over to the driveway of a big suburban house swiftly, parking his Camaro. The amount of relief Marina felt was immense – they were fine, they were alive, and absolutely nothing had gone wrong. She got out of the car and brought the seat forward so that Allison could step out as well, locking it back to its place afterwards. She didn't really know what lead her to say the following, but before Marina realized it she was looking at Allison with the most convincing smile she could have mustered.

"I'll be right with you, okay?" she said. "I just want to thank Derek."

Allison raised an eyebrow and Marina could have sworn she saw the corners of her lips twitching upward for a second, forming a suggestive smile that Marina wanted nothing more than to deny. Allison was quick to nod her head and bent down to thank Derek before going to the front door of her house. Marina waited for the door to close and once it finally clicked, she crouched a little to look at the guy behind the wheel, crossing her arms.

"Alright, who are you?" she asked, glaring at him. "I happen to be one of Scott's best friends and he's never mentioned you."

Derek's strong eyebrows creased, his eyes as calculative as ever. Marina quietly inhaled, maintaining the intense eye contact despite the deep urge to look away and go inside where it was undoubtedly safe. Still, a part of her couldn't help but to think that if his intention had been to kill Allison, having her there wouldn't have stopped him; Marina was no match against someone like Derek, physically at least.

"I'm a friend of Scott's," he said once more, before leaning over and closing the passenger door, forcing Marina to back out. She gaped at the guy's action and watched as he drove away, quickly disappearing from her vision.

"Unbelievable…" Marina breathed out, dropping her arms. What was up with that guy?

"Marina?"

Said girl turned around and saw Allison standing by the door, looking curiously at her. Marina started walking forward, giving her a small smile.

"Is everything okay?" Allison asked, moving aside and letting Marina step inside.

"Yeah, Derek's just…weird," she chose to say, because, well, she didn't even know the guy and saying that he was strange would be a little too strong of an adjective for someone that was supposedly your friend.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Allison chuckled and Marina joined in, letting out a small laugh. They were about to go up the stairs when the sound of heels clicking as a figured approached halted them. They looked to the entrance of the living room and Marina saw a middle aged woman with strong features, short red hair, and light eyes. She seemed to have a naturally graceful and powerful aura about her, making it normal for her to always have her chin high. Her mother did that, too, the only difference being that hers had a more gentle approach to it.

"Allison," the woman smiled and rested her gaze on Marina. "I didn't know we were having company."

"I'm sorry, mom" Allison apologized, smiling sheepishly. "This is Marina…" she looked at the shorter girl, having forgotten her last name.

"McKinley!" she finished quickly, moving on to give Mrs. Argent a polite smile. "Marina McKinley."

Both of Mrs. Argent's thin eyebrows went up in surprise and her smile turned a little friendlier than before, putting Marina at ease.

"You're Harry's daughter?"

Marina, although a bit caught off guard by the quick connection, nodded her head, remaining as polite as possible – something about Mrs. Argent made it seem as though she couldn't just call her "Mrs. A" like Stiles did with her dad.

"You know him?"

"Well, he is the book shop's owner," Mrs. Argent chuckled airily, making Marina do so, too. Of course, everyone in town knew her dad, it was quite difficult not to.

"As much as I enjoy watching you two bond," Allison spoke up, grabbing Marina's hand and going up one step. "We've got things to talk about."

Marina only had time to manage a small wave in Mrs. Argent's direction as Allison dragged her up the stairs and into her room. Most of the space was taken by cardboard boxes, both empty and filled ones, making it obvious that they had moved to Beacon Hills recently. There were three different colored stripes on one wall while the rest of it remained bare.

"Sorry about the small mess," Allison said, scratching her head a little. Marina moved one hand dismissively.

"It's fine," she assured with a smile. "Moving is bound to be messy. How long have you been here?"

"Uh, we just got here recently," Allison answered, putting a shirt that was lying on her bed on a hanger before moving to the closet. There were a few other tops on the bed, a sign that she had been trying on different outfits for the date. "My dad's job requires us to move around a lot, so I'm pretty used to it."

Marina nodded her head a little, wanting to ask a few more questions regarding the subject but uncertain as to how much ground she could cover. She had just started talking to Allison, partially because they didn't have much of a choice, and Marina didn't want to make it seem like she was prying or make her uncomfortable with her natural curiosity.

"I can't believe he would just do that…" she heard Allison mumble, picking up another top. "I mean, we were having a great time," this time she spoke a little louder, inviting Marina in. "Why would he just…leave?"

"I'm sure Scott has a good explanation, he's not that type of guy," Marina responded softly, smiling a little as she added, "He really does like you, Allison – but don't tell him I said that."

Allison's gaze instantly softened and she let out a small breath, having that look in her eyes that Marina recognized as the one people had when they thought fondly of something or someone. She knew Allison would forgive Scott, now all Marina hoped was that he would properly apologize and not avoid her.

"Allison!" Mrs. Argent called from downstairs. Allison threw her head back and sighed, before leaving the room. Marina stayed behind, once again uncertain whether she should have gone out, too. Maybe Mrs. Argent wanted to speak to her daughter privately, maybe it was too late to have visitors and she wanted her out.

'_Shit, what time is it?_' Marina quickly thought, remembering her curfew. She took her phone and relaxed a little, seeing that she still had an hour left.

"Marina!" this time it was Allison who called. "Stiles is here."

The mention of her best friend's name made Marina open her eyes widely, the weight of everything else falling back onto her shoulders. She quickly went out to the hall and saw Allison standing on top of the stairs. Marina stood by her side and looked down at the front door, where a frantic and albeit pale Stiles stood, seeming to breathe better now that she was in sight. She knew this was her cue to leave, that there were other things to take care of.

"He's my ride home," Marina commented casually, looking at Allison as she pointed to Stiles. The brunette nodded her head without a problem and hugged Marina, surprising her a little.

"Thank you," Allison whispered. Marina relaxed and hugged the girl back, nodding her head against her shoulder, letting Allison know it was no problem at all. The two parted, smiling at each other understandingly, and Marina wasted no time in going down the stairs, now giving Mrs. Argent a friendly wave goodbye.

The two best friends had to pretend everything was normal for Mrs. Argent was watching them walk to Stiles' jeep. Marina waved her hand one last time once she got to the passenger door, letting out an inner sigh of relief once the front door was closed. Stiles was quick to grab Marina's shoulders with both hands while the girl simultaneously gave him a sharp look.

"Stiles, what the hell is going on?" she hissed. "One second everything's fine and the next we're running out of the party."

Stiles was not paying that much attention, though, too busy moving Marina from one side to the other, checking to see if she had any scratches or injuries.

"Would you stop that?!" she retorted, jerking his hands off her shoulders.

"Your dad will kill us if something happens to you," Stiles said, both defensively and incredibly relieved that nothing had.

"Yeah, well, _I'm_ going to kill you if you don't tell me what's going on!" Marina glared.

"Wouldn't that be a little counterproductive? I mean –"

"Stiles!" Marina yelled, making the boy yell right back at her. If Mrs. Argent was looking at them through one of the windows, she would surely deem them as unsuitable friends for her daughter.

"Fine! Jeez…" Stiles jumped, moving his arms around in the dramatic ways he always did. "Get in the car!"

The two were inside the jeep in less than five seconds, closing the doors loudly. Stiles turned on the car and drove away from Allison's house, going down the other way and onto a street filled with trees on each side.

"Stiles," Marina called warningly, reminding him that he had yet to tell her and that she wasn't going to rest until everything was said. "What happened to Scott?"

Stiles visibly gulped, his face going a little pale once more. Both of his hands tightened on the wheel and Marina noticed how his knuckles slowly turned a shade whiter. She could feel the color on her face fading away each second that went by in absolute silence – no words needed to be said for her to understand what was going on, what was actually happening. Her lips trembled a little and she turned to face the road ahead, trying to say something but her mind remained blank.

Scott…he is…

The car suddenly felt so much smaller than it actually was, hotter, too. Marina settled back as far as she could on the seat, her fingers gripping the hem of her sweater. She unbuckled her seat belt, oblivious to Stiles' quick glances, and took it off, letting her sweaty skin breathe. Her body was torn between feeling too cold and too hot, but Marina paid little attention to that, too busy bending down to even her rapid breathing.

"Shit, shit, shit," Stiles repeated various times, pulling the car to the side of the road. He quickly got out, not bothering to turn off the car or close his door, and went to Marina's door to open it. She wasted no time to get out, barely able to make three steps forward without falling on her shaky knees. Marina's fingers held tightly onto the grass beneath her and she squeezed her eyes, shutting out the blurry world around her; it was only her accelerated heartbeat, rapid breathing, and her messy thoughts.

"Marina, Mar," she heard Stiles' voice in front of her, but he had yet to touch her. "How many fingers am I holding up? Mar," he called again. "Look at me, okay? Tell me how many fingers I'm holding up."

Marina slowly did as told, her chest heaving up and down rapidly. Her blurred vision slowly, but surely, focused on the two fingers Stiles was holding up.

"T-Two…" she breathed out.

"Okay, good," Stiles smiled. "And now?"

"Five…" she closed her eyes, lowering her head to breathe a little more. "It's five."

"Just breathe, focus on that." It had been such a long time since Marina heard Stiles speaking so soothingly, half of his responses usually involved a form of sarcasm. "It's going to be fine." Whether he meant this particular situation or the whole thing, Marina wasn't sure, but she figured it was the both of them.

It was obvious Stiles wasn't entirely sure how fine things were really going to be, Marina didn't either, but if there was one person she allowed herself to trust blindly it was him – and Scott, and her parents. They had gone through thick and thin together, so what made this the exception? If Stiles said things were going to be fine, then Marina knew they somehow would be – everything always fell into place, didn't it?

"I used to get like this when my mom died…" he spoke softly.

"I know," Marina whispered, resting her forehead on one of her hands. She could smell the fresh scent of the grass, cold and humid under her touch, reminding her of the tranquil morning bicycle rides she enjoyed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't, just keep breathing steadily," Stiles said, knowing there was no need for her to apologize for reacting like that. He tentatively and slowly placed one hand on top of her head. Marina flinched a little but thankfully remained calm, keeping her focus on the air she was inhaling and exhaling.

"Stiles," she called softly, taking in some air. "Who's – Who's Derek? Scott knows him, you know him, but I don't…who is he?"

"He's the one who bit Scott," Stiles answered without hesitating, keeping the same tone of voice. "And – And the one who killed that girl."

Stiles could feel Marina's body shaking a little once more and for a moment her breathing got ragged again, a whimper escaping her mouth. She had been in a car with a possible murderer, someone who actually cut another human being's body in half. That guy had been after Allison and she had deliberately confronted him later on, actually thinking for a second that Derek wasn't going to do anything.

"Breathe, Marina," Stiles reminded. "Focus on something else."

"Okay…" Marina breathed out, telling herself to calm down, focusing once more on the smell of the grass. "Okay."

"Hey," Stiles spoke once more, moving his hand to urge Marina to raise her head. She let him do so, lips trembling as she opened her eyes and stared back at her best friend. Stiles smiled, "Come on, didn't you use to say that you wanted to live in the Harry Potter universe? They have all of this and more there, you know?"

"Yeah," the corners of Marina's lips twitched a little, though she was still quite shaky. "And as much as I don't want to believe I'm destined to be a muggle, this is a little too much to wrap your head around."

"Yeah," Stiles whispered in agreement, chuckling a little dryly as he dropped his hand.

Marina managed to sit normally on the grass, bringing her knees up so that she could rest her forehead on them. It was difficult to just relax her body, but at least her breathing wasn't as hectic as before and her heart was slowly returning back to a steady beat. There is a stark difference between daydreaming about supernatural things, but another to actually see that it is real, and not only that, but that one of her best friends is a werewolf – and Derek is one, too.

These were things meant to live in the imagination of people and as much as Marina's logical portion of the brain told her that it was impossible, werewolves were real and who knows what else was as well; vampires, mermaids, centaurs, and hell, even wizards and magic. At the end of it, however, all that mattered very little, especially now. Marina couldn't help but to think that if she was having such a difficult time accepting this, then Scott must be going through so much worse, all alone, transforming into something he also thought to be unreal.

"Alright," Marina took a deep breath, bringing her head back up. Stiles looked at her, waiting to see if she was okay. "Let's go get Scott and go home. Do you think he'll need a change of clothes?" she smiled a little, causing Stiles to do so, too.

"I'll tell you to close your eyes if he does, how about that?"

Marina nodded her head, chuckling a little. Stiles helped her onto her feet and the two quietly returned to the jeep, where she slid on the sweater once more, now feeling much colder than before. The fact that he had gone through various panic attacks as a kid, ones that were surely much worse than this one, gave Stiles the knowledge to know that it was best to not ask anything else afterwards. Marina was walking on her own, keeping together as much as possible, and breathing, there was no need for anything else to be said or for her to thank her best friend. For as long as Marina has known Stiles, the two have had a sort of silent understanding where feelings such a gratefulness were easily felt.

For a while the drive was silent. Stiles kept his eyes on the road, growing darker by the second, and Marina looked out the window, squinting her eyes to see if she spotted Scott somewhere. Music was softly playing in the background, making the silence comfortable and bearable. Quick vibrations went off in Marina's pocket and her heart dropped, glancing quickly at the clock on the car's dashboard to see that it was already fifteen minutes past eleven. She took the phone out and lo and behold, the Mothership was calling.

"Marina Grace McKinley, where are you?" Joanne inquired sternly the second she answered the call. "I told you to be here by eleven."

"I'm sorry, mom," Marina groaned, signaling Stiles with her finger to keep it down just in case.

"Where are you?" her mother asked once more, this time much more skeptically. "I don't hear any loud music, I thought you were at a party."

Marina rubbed her temples, trying to come up with a quick lie that would possibly save her ass from getting grounded. She couldn't leave Stiles to search for Scott alone, it was dark, it was dangerous, and it would be faster with two people instead of one.

"I'm-I'm at Allison's house," she quickly said, her eyes opening once more as a bright idea popped into her mind. "I'm sorry for not calling earlier."

"Allison?" Joanne question, though this time her tone held a certain edge of curiosity – Marina was not one to have many girlfriends, much less one whose house she actually visited.

"Yeah, she was Scott's date to the party," the young girl went on. "Things went kind of bad between them and she asked me to stay over so we could hang out and stereotypically talk about boys in her room. Hmm…is it okay with you?"

Stiles stared at Marina in disbelief, this was the first time she was telling her own mother such a big lie. Granted, she had good reasons behind it, but Marina had a tendency of being very honest with her parents, though then again, she has always been a well behaved child.

"Who are her parents again?" her mother asked.

"Oh, I actually didn't catch her mom's name," Marina laughed, at least this was true. "But she said she knows dad – Mrs. Argent."

"Oh, Victoria," Joanne said, so her mother knew her, too. Marina made a small noise of agreement and bit her lip, knowing that she was now thinking about it. She heard Joanne sigh deeply at the other end of the line, "Alright, you can stay there, but next time do call me, sweetheart, your dad and I get worried about you."

Marina squealed, "I will. Thanks, mom!"

After the two wished one another a goodnight, Marina hung up and lowered her phone with a sigh – she couldn't believe that actually worked. She felt a pair of eyes on her, bringing Marina to look over at Stiles.

"What?" she asked, smiling with amusement at his shock filled eyes.

"You lied to your mom," he stated. "Like, an actual, heavy lie."

"Well, it's a night of firsts," Marina shrugged. Stiles snorted, shaking his head slightly as he concentrated once more on the road.

The comfortable silence dawned on the car once again and they unanimously returned to the search. Marina lost track of the amount of the turns they made throughout the night, of the times they stopped at the side of a road to think of their next move, and how much Stiles cursed at the fact that Scott was nowhere to be found and that he wasn't answering his phone. There came a point where Marina dozed off against the window, multiple times, and she would suddenly wake up whenever Stiles made a bad turn causing her to smack her head. Despite her glares during those moments, Marina was actually quite grateful that she had not been allowed to fully sleep – what if she had another one of those dreams?

She had come to the conclusion long ago that no one was to know about that. Her parents didn't need to worry about their daughter having any gruesome dreams and her friends didn't have to worry about it either, especially now that they had Scott to take care of. Besides, as far as Marina knew, it was only _one_ dream, a little too vivid and frightening, yes, but just a single dream she probably had because there had been far too many things in her mind at the moment, all having to do with the supernatural.

Stiles stopped driving at five in the morning, parking somewhere Marina's tired mind barely made an effort to recognize. Her eyes hurt and by taking a single glance at the boy next to her, she could clearly see the dark circles. Stiles turned off the car and sighed, slumping back against the seat. Marina closed her eyes and curled up, letting her head drop a little. At any other moment she would have said she was uncomfortable, but right now even the floor outside would be a mighty place to sleep at. She opened her eyes a little and dazedly stared at the sky outside; it was still mostly dark, but there were a few strokes of orange here and there, signaling that sunrise would come soon enough. Neither birds nor crickets chirped, and despite everything she had been through after leaving her house, Marina was glad to find this little moment of peacefulness at this ungodly hour.

At least it was technically Saturday and there was no school later.

"You know," Marina mumbled, barely getting a groan in response from Stiles. "This is really nice."

Stiles opened his eyes, blinking hard several times. He took a deep breath and rubbed both hands over his face, an attempt at waking himself up. Finally, Stiles focused on the direction Marina was looking at, seeing the slowly transforming sky above them.

"Huh, it's true," he smiled tiredly. "Okay, let's get coffee."

Marina nodded her head almost immediately; they still had to find Scott. Stiles turned on the car and they were off again, eventually arriving at the nearest 24-hour McDonalds where they each got a large cup of coffee and drank it in the parking lot. It warmed Marina's insides wonderfully, instantly giving her what could be similar to a shot of adrenaline. She felt much more awake, though the terrible crash later on was inevitable – hopefully by then they would have their friend back.

"Do you think he's fine?" Marina asked at one point, holding the nearly empty cup with both hands. Stiles had finished his several minutes earlier but had chosen to wait for her to do so, too, before they left.

"Yeah," he nodded his head, not as worried as Marina for the second time in the last couple of days. "I mean, at least we haven't seen any officers and ambulances around, so we know nothing bad has happened." The glare from the dark haired girl was almost instant, but she knew Stiles' logic was true – no news was good news, kind of.

The sun was out by the time they were on the road again. Marina kept her eyes glued to the side of the road, waiting and hoping to see Scott's figure nearby. She licked her chapped lips, tapping her fingers rapidly on her knees. Marina kept mumbling a _"Where are you Scott?"_ all the while Stiles made various promises that when they found him he was going to beat him up for not communicating with them.

Marina was about to suggest that maybe, just maybe, Scott had actually returned to his house and had been there all this time when she spotted a figure walking by the side of the road. Her heart skipped a beat and she moved to the edge of the seat.

"Over there!" she pointed. "I think that's Scott, oh my God!"

Stiles went a little faster and started slowing down just as the person turned around. Marina almost let out a cry at the sight of a battered and dirty Scott McCall; his hair was messy, he looked far more tired than they were, and like he had the worse night of his life. Stiles halted the car and Marina quickly got out, wrapping her best friend in a tight embrace – she had feared for everyone's lives in one single night, especially his.

"Let's get you home," she mumbled, parting from the hug and giving Scott a small, tired smile that he returned exhaustedly.

Marina was the first to get in, moving over to the backseat so that Scott could settle in the front. Stiles gave him his suit's jacket and by his lack hostile actions Marina knew he had decided against "beating him up", Scott had gone through enough for one night. She moved forward once Stiles started driving again and rested her head on the passenger seat, closing her eyes for what was possibly the fiftieth time.

"You know what actually worries me the most?" Scott said after a little while.

"If you say Allison I'm gonna punch you in the head," was Stiles' response.

"She probably hates me now," Scott sighed, making Stiles groan. Marina shook her head a little, too groggy to even open her eyes.

"She doesn't," she mumbled, letting out a yawn. "We talked."

"What? You did?" Scott's tone had gone back to its usual liveliness as he turned to look at Marina, surely expecting her to go on. "What did she say?"

"Dude," Stiles shook his head and Scott slumped back, resting his head against the window. "You just need to apologize, make it big. Or you know, you could just tell her the truth – revel in the awesomeness of the fact that you're a frickin' werewolf," – by the sudden silence Marina could tell Scott had given Stiles a sharp look – "Okay, bad idea. Hey, we'll get through this. Come on, if I have to I'll chain you up myself on full moon nights and Marina will feed you live mice,"

"Eww," she groaned, her body beginning to numb down.

"Yeah, we'll be alright," Stiles went on.

Marina wasn't sure if it was because Scott was finally there, safe and sound, or if it was Stiles' rambling about his old boa in the background, but after an incredibly long night she finally managed to keep the demons at bay and give her mind a break, falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

_Well, long chapter to resemble a very long night! haha_

_I always imagined Marina not as quick as Stiles to wrap her head around what's going on. I guess it's safe to say that she's not a big fan of change, especially if it's a big one such as finding out your best friend is a werewolf, haha. But oh well, what did you guys think? :) _

_Once again, thank you all so much for following, reviewing, and favoriting the story, I get all giddy every time I receive an email._

_See you all next time!_

_- Maria. _

**_Disclaimer: _**_I've never personally experienced a panic attack, but I did a lot of research and talked to a friend of mine who has gone through them, so I hope I portrayed it fairly well. If not, then don't be afraid to let me know - knowledge is power. :)  
_


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